Electric bikes
Discussion
Anyone tried one?
Bought a Zero FXE back in March, and put 2,500km on the odo since.
Very happy with it; planned to use it for commuting ~30km one-way - but found myself driving it a lot on weekends. It's pretty light at 135kg, and does 100km driving mixed city and country.
I use the onboard charger that only consumes ~650W, and takes 8-10h to full. Technically, it's possible to charge it in one hour; but that requires tinkering with external chargers and I don't plan to travel longer tours with it (there's bikes with bigger batteries for that).
Bought a Zero FXE back in March, and put 2,500km on the odo since.
Very happy with it; planned to use it for commuting ~30km one-way - but found myself driving it a lot on weekends. It's pretty light at 135kg, and does 100km driving mixed city and country.
I use the onboard charger that only consumes ~650W, and takes 8-10h to full. Technically, it's possible to charge it in one hour; but that requires tinkering with external chargers and I don't plan to travel longer tours with it (there's bikes with bigger batteries for that).
A guy in my local IAM club does tremendous miles on them and posts on youtube - John Chivers
Not the most exciting videos though
I would like to try one but mostly for green laning - where a group of bike engines can be annoying to others but we cover 100 miles and our bikes weigh around 100kg which isn't achievable currently with electric
Not the most exciting videos though
I would like to try one but mostly for green laning - where a group of bike engines can be annoying to others but we cover 100 miles and our bikes weigh around 100kg which isn't achievable currently with electric
I had a Sur Ron XB for a few months. Looked at taking teh full licence so I could get a Zero or Energica with longer range, but you can only take your lience on a petrol bike. WTF it's 2022, why is this not sorted by now ?
Anyway, I really liked it.
50 mph ish, 20 mile range, but battery pack (1.8 kWh IRC) was removable and charged in 4-5 hours it seemed on a 3 pin plug.
So ideal for commuting in town, feck all use for other stuff.
I might get a petrol bike (maybe a Tracer) once I pass my tests, because the prices for the bigger bikes like the Zero SRS or the Energicas are so bloody expensive.
Woud love Damon to actually make and sell some bikes over here at the prices they're talking about, but I suspect it's all pipedream/marketing.
Would like to see Triumph TE1 thing emerge and see what they mean when they talk about a price that makes sense to the market. I get it - make a bike that sells in volume so you can price it at 12k or something.
I'd buy one tomorrow at 12k.
Meanwhile I wait and use a very efficient petrol 125.
ETA this looks like fun -
https://surron.co.uk/collections/surron-lbx/produc...
21 kW
Second ETA - also seriously considering making my own. Buy a frame, throw away the petrol ICE, keep suspension, wheels, brakes etc. Add in 60-70 kW motor, battery pack +BMS, controller, and dash.
I work in that indiustry so have good access to all the gubbins required. Still have to pay for it of course
Anyway, I really liked it.
50 mph ish, 20 mile range, but battery pack (1.8 kWh IRC) was removable and charged in 4-5 hours it seemed on a 3 pin plug.
So ideal for commuting in town, feck all use for other stuff.
I might get a petrol bike (maybe a Tracer) once I pass my tests, because the prices for the bigger bikes like the Zero SRS or the Energicas are so bloody expensive.
Woud love Damon to actually make and sell some bikes over here at the prices they're talking about, but I suspect it's all pipedream/marketing.
Would like to see Triumph TE1 thing emerge and see what they mean when they talk about a price that makes sense to the market. I get it - make a bike that sells in volume so you can price it at 12k or something.
I'd buy one tomorrow at 12k.
Meanwhile I wait and use a very efficient petrol 125.
ETA this looks like fun -
https://surron.co.uk/collections/surron-lbx/produc...
21 kW
Second ETA - also seriously considering making my own. Buy a frame, throw away the petrol ICE, keep suspension, wheels, brakes etc. Add in 60-70 kW motor, battery pack +BMS, controller, and dash.
I work in that indiustry so have good access to all the gubbins required. Still have to pay for it of course
Edited by 911newbie on Saturday 28th May 10:36
Edited by 911newbie on Saturday 28th May 10:43
Very limited range but probably great for local bimbling, the Garellis look quite cool
https://electrek.co/2020/08/09/garelli-ciclone-e4-...
https://electrek.co/2020/08/09/garelli-ciclone-e4-...
Tried electric trials bike at Inch Perfect (100% recommend and I will be returning as soon as possible).
600NM of torque!!!! I thought I misheard the chap but that is indeed what they have.
Would definitely look at electric for green lane activities but the range makes it a non-starter for me.
600NM of torque!!!! I thought I misheard the chap but that is indeed what they have.
Would definitely look at electric for green lane activities but the range makes it a non-starter for me.
Gnits said:
Tried electric trials bike at Inch Perfect (100% recommend and I will be returning as soon as possible).
600NM of torque!!!! I thought I misheard the chap but that is indeed what they have.
.
I tried his demo at the abr and returned it after 2 minutes as it was slow and dull, he turned the power up - it was still slow and dull - bearing in mind my trials bike is only a 125 someone is telling porkies or he has some very differently spec'd bikes600NM of torque!!!! I thought I misheard the chap but that is indeed what they have.
.
Bodo said:
Anyone tried one?
Bought a Zero FXE back in March, and put 2,500km on the odo since.
Very happy with it; planned to use it for commuting ~30km one-way - but found myself driving it a lot on weekends. It's pretty light at 135kg, and does 100km driving mixed city and country.
I use the onboard charger that only consumes ~650W, and takes 8-10h to full. Technically, it's possible to charge it in one hour; but that requires tinkering with external chargers and I don't plan to travel longer tours with it (there's bikes with bigger batteries for that).
Fair play Bought a Zero FXE back in March, and put 2,500km on the odo since.
Very happy with it; planned to use it for commuting ~30km one-way - but found myself driving it a lot on weekends. It's pretty light at 135kg, and does 100km driving mixed city and country.
I use the onboard charger that only consumes ~650W, and takes 8-10h to full. Technically, it's possible to charge it in one hour; but that requires tinkering with external chargers and I don't plan to travel longer tours with it (there's bikes with bigger batteries for that).
Don't forget about all the coal it needs to charge 
Only joking , if i could afford an electric Van ( for my work) i would jump on it. Enjoy. Biker9090 said:
Range is pathetic and the costs for the fast chargers are obscene.
If they sorted that all out and the price then maybe I'd be interested.
Yep this. I have an electric car (as a second vehicle) and my job means I have access to chargers but I wouldn't want to plan a long trip on one. Lots of people do on the bikes and cars but I'd want a very good diesel car like range on either a bike or car before I switchedIf they sorted that all out and the price then maybe I'd be interested.
They do have some great advantages. The instant torque, high efficiency, quietness when you need it like green laning or tracks in cities
There are still plenty of negatives though
rodericb said:
A road legal version would be superb. As mentioned above, perfect for green lanes to avoid upsetting the locals.
IMO, electric bikes are
- not meant to replace petrol bikes
- not meant to save the planet
- an option for a drive train with different characteristics
Power delivery is very spontaneous but still smooth. It's totally silent at low speeds, but not when driven fast: it sounds like a spur-toothed gearbox when recuperating, and whirs pretty high when the engine consumes over 300 amps. At 100km/h on a B-road, the helmet's wind noise is louder than the engine; comfortable enough to attend teleconferences.
Some of the bikes on offer are more geared towards lifestyle (Cake, Zero, Energica, BMW, ...) and manufactured in high cost countries, others focus more on price, and are manufactured in best cost countries (Sur Ron, Alrendo, ...)
- not meant to replace petrol bikes
- not meant to save the planet
- an option for a drive train with different characteristics
Power delivery is very spontaneous but still smooth. It's totally silent at low speeds, but not when driven fast: it sounds like a spur-toothed gearbox when recuperating, and whirs pretty high when the engine consumes over 300 amps. At 100km/h on a B-road, the helmet's wind noise is louder than the engine; comfortable enough to attend teleconferences.
Some of the bikes on offer are more geared towards lifestyle (Cake, Zero, Energica, BMW, ...) and manufactured in high cost countries, others focus more on price, and are manufactured in best cost countries (Sur Ron, Alrendo, ...)
I've ridden a couple and always found that part of the fun, was the noise and the engine, and like others have said the range and costs are a problem.
Except, I did one of those experience days at Inch Perfect, riding trials bikes and switching back to a 4stroke felt akin to going back in time.
I guess, at this stage of their development, they fit into niches, rather than broad spectrum replacements.
Except, I did one of those experience days at Inch Perfect, riding trials bikes and switching back to a 4stroke felt akin to going back in time.
I guess, at this stage of their development, they fit into niches, rather than broad spectrum replacements.
Range is certainly an issue.
No technology I see on the horizon will sove that either. We will just have to get used to doing things differently. Hey ho.
Two things related to this -
1. 2040 ban on sale of new ICE motorbikes. Which seems far away enough right ?
2. Petrol price and availability. This is more tricky.
Sales of new diesel cars have fallen off a cliff. Sales of new petrol cars will likely also decline sharply towards the ban in 2030. I'd guess we will see 10-15% of new car sales being petrol by 2025/6.
Who is going buy a new petrol car for £30k+ which will be banned from city centres, increasingly expensive to run, with resale value in free fall in 3 years ?
At that point the number of petrol cars in the UK road car fleet will be essentially fixed.
Average life of cars is 8 years or so in the UK. So we can assume approx 50% decline in petrol car fleet every 4 years, or 25% in 2 years. I know it's not as linear as that, and it might be faster than I assume.
Petrol sales are diven very much by road car demand. Demand from motobikes is feck all in the grand scheme of things.
So a couple of years later, say 2028, we should expect to see a 25% decline in demand for petrol from road cars. If petrol production prices are pretty much fixed (I think they might be), then price will have to rise accordingly - i.e. 30%+ rise.
On top of whatever the market does.
By 2030 we could expect petrol sales down by 50% or more (I suspect much more), and prices may well have doubled.
On top of whatever the market does.
Of course in response some petrol production will be ceased, hence availability of petrol might start to become noticeably less easy. For sure fuel stations will respond quickly to shifts in demand, ripping out petrol pumps for more chargers.
I'd guess by 2035 petrol will be a specialist fuel, with much lower availability, and radically higher prices.
In summary - change is likely to come rather faster than many people expect.
Let's hope Triumph etc can sort out cheaper electric bikes, with longer ranges, and faster charging.
No technology I see on the horizon will sove that either. We will just have to get used to doing things differently. Hey ho.
Two things related to this -
1. 2040 ban on sale of new ICE motorbikes. Which seems far away enough right ?
2. Petrol price and availability. This is more tricky.
Sales of new diesel cars have fallen off a cliff. Sales of new petrol cars will likely also decline sharply towards the ban in 2030. I'd guess we will see 10-15% of new car sales being petrol by 2025/6.
Who is going buy a new petrol car for £30k+ which will be banned from city centres, increasingly expensive to run, with resale value in free fall in 3 years ?
At that point the number of petrol cars in the UK road car fleet will be essentially fixed.
Average life of cars is 8 years or so in the UK. So we can assume approx 50% decline in petrol car fleet every 4 years, or 25% in 2 years. I know it's not as linear as that, and it might be faster than I assume.
Petrol sales are diven very much by road car demand. Demand from motobikes is feck all in the grand scheme of things.
So a couple of years later, say 2028, we should expect to see a 25% decline in demand for petrol from road cars. If petrol production prices are pretty much fixed (I think they might be), then price will have to rise accordingly - i.e. 30%+ rise.
On top of whatever the market does.
By 2030 we could expect petrol sales down by 50% or more (I suspect much more), and prices may well have doubled.
On top of whatever the market does.
Of course in response some petrol production will be ceased, hence availability of petrol might start to become noticeably less easy. For sure fuel stations will respond quickly to shifts in demand, ripping out petrol pumps for more chargers.
I'd guess by 2035 petrol will be a specialist fuel, with much lower availability, and radically higher prices.
In summary - change is likely to come rather faster than many people expect.
Let's hope Triumph etc can sort out cheaper electric bikes, with longer ranges, and faster charging.
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